1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a centrifugal type gas-liquid separator, and more particularly to a centrifugal type gas-liquid separator which can reliably separate and extract gas and liquid from gas-liquid mixture fluid in a gravity-free environment or a minute-gravity environment such as cosmic space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Within a minute-gravity environment in cosmic space, a mixture of liquid such as, for example, water and gas such as, for example, air cannot be separated easily by relying upon difference in a specific gravity as is the case with separation on the earth. When human beings live or conduct scientific experiments within a minute-gravity environment, there is a necessity of utilizing and reclaiming water or other liquids, and in a plant or a system for handling these liquids, when the liquids coexist with gases such as air, nitrogen hydrogen, oxygen, methane, etc. will occur situations where a gas-liquid separating operation is necessitated.
Heretofore, as gas-liquid separating devices under minute-gravity conditions, centrifugal separator means and membrane separator means have been proposed.
However, with such prior art gas-liquid separators the following problems remain to be resolved:
(1) In some cases, separation of gas from liquid could not be effected reliably.
(2) In a centrifugal type gas-liquid separator, in the event that a centrifugal force is not present, leakage of gas and liquid, especially of gas, could not be prevented.